Big man Montrezl Harrell shocked the NBA by departing the Los Angeles Clippers for their rival Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason.
It appears Harrell had a tough time adjusting to the Clippers’ hierarchal system.
“Gone are some of those, including Harrell, who had a more difficult time transitioning to the hierarchical system,” Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com wrote. “Since the playoff elimination, players and staffers who previously blanched at the inconveniences presented by a two-time Finals MVP requiring some extra space for his unique pregame regimen have been educated on a certain reality in the NBA: Exceptional stars are afforded exceptional privileges.”
Harrell, 26, played on the Clippers for full three seasons.
However, the Clippers went through a bunch of changes during his tenure with the team. Numerous things changed when the organization acquired superstars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2019.
The Clippers didn’t practice much throughout the year. Of course, the Clippers embarrassingly suffered a 2020 second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets after holding a commanding 3-1 lead.
Last season, Harrell averaged a career-high 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He won the 2020 Sixth Man of the Year award.
